FOUR  WEEKS 


- , U - ‘5, 


AMONG  SOME  OF 


THE  SIOUX  TRIBES 

OF 


DAKOTA  AND  NEBRASKA, 

TOGETHER  WITH  A 


BRI1:F  COXSIDHRATIOX 


OF 


THE  INDIAN  PROBLEM 


RY 


HERBERT  WELSH. 


Post  Office  Address,  West  Walnut  Lane,  Germantown,  Philadelphia. 


Gekma.ntown,  Philadelphia; 

HORACE  F.  McCANN,  STEAM-POWER  PRINTER, 
4958  Germantown  Avenue. 

1882. 


FOUR  WEEKS 


, AMONG  SOiME  OF 


THE  .SIOUX  TRIBES 

OF 


DAKOTA  AND  NEBRASKA, 

TOGETHER  WITH  A 


BRIEF  CONSIDERATION 


THE  INDIAN  PROBLEM 


HERBERT  WELSH. 


Post  Office  Address,  West  Walnut  Lane,  Germantown,  Philadelphia. 


Germantown,  Philadelphia: 

HORACE  F.  McCANN,  STEAM-POWER  PRINTER, 
4958  Germantown  Avenub. 

1882. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016 


https://archive.org/details/fourweeksamongOOwels 


A MONTH 


AMONG  THE  SIOUX  INDIANS. 


E FOUND  ourselves  about  midday,  June  17th,  at  the  little 
town  of  Chamberlain,  Dakota,  a place  of  some  three  hundred 
inhabitants,  lying  upon  the  east  bank  of  the  Missouri  river. 
To  this  distant  point  we  bad  come  by  the  request  of  Bishop  Hare,  in 
order  to  gain  some  knowledge  of  the  schools  and  missions  established, 
under  his  direction,  by  the  Episcopal  Church,  among  the  Sioux  In- 
dians. As  we  left  the  train,  our  eye.s  sought  eagerly  for  the  Rev.  Luke 
Walker,  a full-blooded  Sioux  and  a presbyter  of  the  Church,  who  was  to 
have  met  us  at  the  station  and  thence  to  have  conducted  us  to  his 
mission  among  the  Lower  Bruits,  four  miles  distant,  and  within 
the  limits  of  the  reservation  upon  the  other  side  of  the  Missouri.  Our 
search  was  in  vain,  and  not  until  late  in  the  day,  after  we  had  made 
two  ineffectual  attempts  to  cross  the  river,  did  we  find  our  friend,  who, 
in  company  with  Rev.  Mr.  Burt,  had  been  detained  later  than  was  his 
expectation,  at  a distant  point.  Mr.  Burt  is  one  of  those  who  came 
to  this  country  ten  years  ago,  from  Berkeley  Divinity  School,  after 
hearing  William  Welsh  plead  the  Indian  cause.  He  has  ever  since 
labored  among  the  people  as  a faithful  missionary  and  has  acquired 
not  only  a knowledge  of  their  character  and  customs,  but  also  great 
proficiency  in  the  Dakota  tongue.  We  crossed  the  Missouri  as  the  sun 
sank  behind  the  reservation  hills,  with  the  blue  sky  above  us  from 
which  the  storms  that  had  risen  suddenly  during  the  afternoon,  and 
threatened  an  hour  before,  had  now  dropped  to  the  horizon.  Beneath 
us  rolled  a fierce  muddy  stream  in  whose  waters,  swollen  by  spring 
rains,  our  oars  labored  slowly.  The  evening  was  delightful,  though 


4 


A Month  Among  the  Sioux  Indians. 


windy,  and  nature  about  us  so  fresh  that  we  could  not  but  feel  a sense 
of  joyful  anticipation  as  we  crossed  the  moving  boundary  line  which 
separates  two  distinct  people.  Our  road  to  the  Indian  Agency  lay 
through  country  quite  similar  to  that  which  we  had  seen  upon  the 
east  bank — broken  hills,  with  their  steep  ascents  and  descents — which 
the  reckless  driving  of  our  Indian  friend  made  at  times  rather  suggestive 
of  a break  down.  A fine  characteristic  of  this  region  is  the  singular 
clearness  of  the  atmosphere,  which  gave  a touch  of  peculiar  beauty  to 
the  lonely  hills  about  us,  and  an  additional  brilliancy  to  the  young 
moon  and  Venus  setting  beyond.  About  nine  o’clock  we  reached  the 
outskirts  of  the  Indian  settlement,  heralded  by  the  barking  of  numer- 
ous dogs,  who  serve  not  only  as  guards  to  their  owners,  but  also  in 
due  time  as  a replenishment  to  their  larders.  On  our  arrival  at  the  par- 
sonage, which  stands  close  to  the  Mis.sion  Church,  we  were  welcomed 
by  Mrs.  Walker,  the  wife  of  our  Indian  friend.  This  lady  is  a white 
woman,  well  fitted  by  kind  heart  and  courteous  manner  to  aid  her 
husband  in  his  work  among  their  dark-skinned  brethren.  Later  in  the 
evening  we  were  visited  by  the  head  chief  of  the  Brule  tribe.  Iron 
Nation,  a tall,  well-built  man,  whose  cleanly  dress  and  dignity  of 
bearing  would,  doubtless,  have  surprised  those  among  my  readers  who 
imagine  all  Indians  to  be  filthy  and  degraded.  He  wore  moccasins, 
dark  trowsers,  a neat  linen  shirt,  and  a red  handkerchief  tied  loosely 
around  his  neck.  His  black  hair  hung  down  in  two  plaits  upon  his 
shoulders.  He  greeted  us  with  the  ordinary  Indian  salutation,  strange, 
though  attractive  to  our  unaccustomed  ears,  “ How  ! How!”  followed 
by  soft,  indescribable  intonations,  and  a gentle  clapping  of  the  hands, 
when  any  remark  of  ours  gave  him  pleasure.  The  expression  of  his 
face  seemed,  to  our  perhaps  prejudiced  eyes,  to  indicate  neither  cruelty 
nor  treachery,  but  rather  kindliness  and  good  will.  We  slept  that 
night  for  the  first  time  in  a community  of  1,500  Indians,  among 
whom  were,  probably,  not  more  than  a dozen  whites,  including 
the  United  .States  Agent,  his  family  and  employees.  Early  Sunday 
morning,  I looked  out  upon  the  view  which  my  chamber  window 
commanded — some  level  field.s  partly  under  Indian  cultivation,  a piece 
of  timber  land,  a sunny  strip  of  the  Missouri,  and  beyond  a line  of 


A Month  Among  the  Sioux  Indians. 


5 


rolling  hills.  As  my  eye  happened  to  glance  at  the  foreground  of  this 
picture,  on  a little  plot  of  grass  lying  close  to  the  house,  I noticed, 
with  some  curiosity,  two  pieces  of  white  canvas  flapping  up  and  down 
in  the  strong  wind.  At  times  a slightly  different  movement  than  that 
which  the  wind  produced  drew  my  attention  more  carefully  to  them, 
when,  to  my  surprise,  one  of  these  objects  was  transformed  into  the 
figure  of  a woman  seated  upon  the  earth,  her  white  drapery  drawn 
close  about  her  head  and  person,  whilst  her  face,  which  peered  from 
beneath  its  folds,  bore  an  expression  of  stolid  grief.  The  woman,  I 
learned,  was  one  of  the  two  wives  of  an  Indian  called  Useful  Heart, 
whose  daughter,  a maiden  of  sixteen,  had  but  recently  died.  This 
young  girl,  some  time  before  her  death,  had  become  a Christian,  and 
was  the  only  member  of  her  famil)'  who  had  professed  that  faith.  Her 
father,  though  a savage,  and  at  one  time  bitterly  opposed  to  the  whites, 
seems  not  to  have  been  wholly  without  natural  affection,  as  his  grief 
at  the  prospect  of  losing  his  child  was  excessive.  He  resolved  to  take 
his  own  life,  a fact  which  greatly  troubled  his  daughter,  who  begged 
him  to  relinquish  his  purpose,  telling  him  that  if  he  loved  her  he 
would  no  longer  think  of  it.  She  had  followed  the  “new  way”  because 
she  thought  it  the  true  one,  and  she  therefore  believed  it  would  be 
impossible  for  them  to  meet  hereafter  if  he  died  by  his  own  hand. 
Her  father  at  last  yielded  to  her  wish,  and  before  her  burial  refused  to 
allow  her  body  to  be  painted  according  to  Indian  custom,  as  such  was 
contrary  to  her  desire.  One  of  her  brothers  came  shortly  after,  in 
obedience  to  her  last  request,  to  Mr.  Walker’s  house,  in  order  to  part 
with  his  scalp  lock,  and  to  wear  his  hair  thenceforth  after  the  manner 
of  the  whites.  This  act  is  regarded  as  the  first  evidence  of  a leaning 
toward  Christianity.  The  little  lock  of  carefully  braided  hair,  which 
this  Indian  boy  once  wore,  is  now  in  my  possession  and  seems  to  me  a 
mule  reminder  that  the  best  and  deepest  instincts  of  human  hearts 
belong  not  to  one  race,  nor  to  one  color,  but  are  the  universal  property 
of  God’s  children  upon  the  earth. 

A little  before  half-past  ten  o’clock  the  ringing  of  the  Mission 
Church  bell  summoned  us  to  service.  As  we  left  the  parsonage  we  saw 
the  members  of  the  Indian  congregation  gathering  from  all  sides. 


6 


A Month  Among  the  Sioux  Indians. 


clothed  in  garments  varied  and  picturesque.  Many  of  the  women 
were  neatly  dressed,  and  had  red  shawls  or  pieces  of  brilliant  drapery 
thrown  about  their  shoulders.  They  carried  their  babies  in  their  arms 
or  bound  upon  their  backs.  The  men  displayed  a great  variety  of 
costume ; some  were  wrapped  in  blankets,  and  looked  as  though  just 
emerging  from  the  old  ways ; some  wore  coats,  and  were  dressed  very 
much  as  white  men,  while  about  some  fluttered  that  unique  emblem  of 
.\merican  civilization,  the  linen  duster.  We  found  the  church  a plain, 
wooden  building,  with  capacity  for  about  150  people,  bright  and 
cheerful  inside,  and  enriched  by  a stained  glass  window  above  the 
altar.  Those  who  shrink  from  the  thought  of  contact  with  Indians 
and  who  conceive  the  war  whoop  their  only  utterance,  and  murder 
their  daily  pastime,  would  have  been  both  astonished  and  edified  could 
they  have  been  present  and  have  seen  a native  Sioux  Indian,  clothed 
in  white  surplice,  conducting,  in  his  own  tongue,  the  service  of  the 
Church,  and  have  heard  the  full  responses  and  sweet  singing  of  his 
fellow  worshippers,  men,  women,  and  little  children,  who,  but  a few 
years  ago,  were  utterly  destitute  of  Christian  instruction,  and  in  many 
cases  hostile  even  to  the  presence  of  white  men  among  them.  After 
service  was  over  many  of  the  men  pressed  forward  to  shake  hands  with 
us,  and  manifested  redoubled  interest  and  pleasure  when  the  name  of 
William  Welsh  was  mentioned  in  connection  with  ours.  We  found  he 
was  remembered  not  only  among  the  people  at  Lower  Brule,  but  among 
all  others  whom  we  visited,  as  the  staunch  friend  of  the  Indian  race. 
More  than  one  gift  of  considerable  value  was  presented  to  us  as  a token 
of  gratitude  for  his  service  of  past  years.  The  memories  of  these  men 
are  retentive  as  well  of  the  kindness  of  their  benefactors  as  the  injuries 
of  tlieir  enemies.  At  Lower  Brule  we  took  up  the  first  link  of  a chain 
of  evidence,  in  reference  to  the  Indian  question,  which  we  were  able 
to  follow  without  break  during  the  entire  course  of  our  trip,  to  the 
effect  that  the  Indian,  like  most  men,  briiigs  forth  good  or  evil  fruit 
according  to  the  treatment  he  receives  or  the  circumstances  with  which 
he  is  surrounded.  If  he  be  treated  with  kindness  and  justice,  and 
be  given  opportunities  for  improvement  and  encouragement  for  indus- 
try, he  will  become  a man;  if,  on  the  contrary,  he  be  treated  with 


A Month  Among  the  Sioux  Indians.  7 

contempt  and  injustice,  if  it  be  taken  for  granted  that  he  is  a degraded 
creature,  worthy  of  any  indignities  his  superiors  may  choose  to  inflict 
upon  him,  then  he  is  likely  to  become,  not  a man,  but  a devil.  The 
truth  of  this  assertion  might  be  apparent  to  any  one  who  chose  to 
make  an  unbiased  investigation  of  facts.  Unfortunately  there  are  but 
too  many  who  scoff  at  the  elevation  of  the  Indian,  not  so  much  because 
they  believe  him  incapable  of  improvement,  but  upon  the  same  princi- 
ple, as,  in  former  years,  the  slaveholder  ridiculed  the  elevation  of  the 
negro,  because  there  is  more  money  to  be  gained  from  him  when  igno- 
rant than  when  instructed.  On  Sunday  afternoon  we  paid  our  respects 
to  Major  Parkhurst,  who  holds  the  position  of  agent  at  Lower  Brule, 
and  were  received  by  him  very  courteously.  In  the  evening,  after 
service,  five  or  six  of  the  leading  Indians  connected  with  the  Mission 
called  upon  us  at  the  parsonage.  They  pleaded  with  eloquent  dignity 
the  hopeless  outlook  of  their  people,  and  urged  an  awakening  of  sym- 
pathy in  the  East,  which  might  render  their  condition  more  favorable. 
Gladly,  had  it  been  in  our  power,  would  we  have  given  them  an  assur- 
ance of  such  aid.  On  Monday  we  again  called  upon  Major  Parkhurst, 
who  afforded  us  an  opportunity  of  seeing  the  agent’s  office,  issue 
house,  and  the  class-room  of  the  government  boarding-school.  Mon- 
day afternoon  was  spent  in  visiting  many  of  the  Indian  cabins  and 
tepees,  in  all  of  which  we  were  received  with  courtesy,  and  in  some  with 
hearty  cordiality.  On  Monday  evening  service  was  again  held  in  the 
little  church,  where,  notwithstanding  a severe  rain-storm,  quite  a 
goodly  number  of  Indians  were  present.  On  Tuesday  morning  we 
reluctantly  brought  to  a close  this,  our  first  visit  to  an  Indian  com- 
munity, much  impressed  by  what  has  already  been  accomplished 
among  a people  whose  temper,  but  a few  years  back,  was  hostile  and 
dangerous.  What  has  been  done,  however,  is  trifling  compared  with 
what  might  be  done  were  such  civil  and  religious  opportunities  afforded 
them  on  a large  scale  as  has  been  proved  indispensable  to  the  proper 
development  of  our  own  race.  After  crossing  the  Missouri  to  Cham- 
berlain, we  went  by  train  to  the  little  town  of  Springfield,  situated  on 
the  river,  about  one  hundred  miles  below  Lower  Brule  Agency.  Here 
we  found  Hope  School,  an  institution  founded  and  sustained  by  the 


8 


A Month  Among  the  Sioux  Indians. 


missionary  effort  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  under  the  direction  of 
Bishop  Hare.  We  reached  the  school  at  about  seven  o’clock  Wednes- 
day morning,  after  a journey  of  singular  discomfort  and  fatigue,  re- 
joicing to  find  ourselves  in  what  we  then  surmised,  and  what  afterwards 
proved  to  be,  an  oasis  in  the  desert.  Hope  School  lies  a short  distance 
from  the  town  upon  the  breezy  prairie-land  which  breaks  into  precipi- 
tous bluffs,  whose  sides  are  fretted  and  worn  by  the  swift  waters  of  the 
Missouri.  Its  situation  is  suggestive  of  health,  air  and  freedom.  It 
is  a simple  two-story  frame  structure,  home-like  in  appearance,  and 
pleasantly  shaded  by  trees.  We  were  cordially  welcomed  by  Mrs. 
Knapp,  the  house-mother,  who  showed  us  into  a cool,  tastefully  ar- 
ranged parlor,  fragrant  with  the  odor  of  wild  roses.  As  we  sat  there, 
surrounded  by  everything  suggestive  of  peace  and  comfort,  and  heard 
from  the  adjoining  rooms  the  sweet  voices  of  Indian  girls  singing  at 
their  household  work,  we  could  not  but  ask  ourselves,  “ Can  this  be  the 
home  of  savage  children  whom  some  hold  it  money  wasted  to  care  for 
and  to  teach?”  After  breakfast  we  visited  the  school-room,  where  we 
found  about  twenty  children,  boys  and  girls,  varying  in  age  from  six 
to  eighteen,  quietly  assembled.  Before  beginning  the  lessons  of  the 
day,  under  the  supervision  of  Miss  Knight,  each  child  was  asked  by 
Mrs.  Knapp  what  duties  he  or  she  had  previously  performed.  To  this 
question,  some  such  reply  as  the  following  was  given  in  clear,  distinct 
English,  “I  made  my  bed,  washed  the  dishes,  picked  up  chips,  took 
bugs  off  the  potato  vines,  swept  the  school-room.”  Thus  we  learned 
that  all  had  shared  in  the  performance  of  household  work  before 
beginning  the  duties  of  the  class  room.  The  advantage  of  such 
training  is,  of  course,  manifest,  as  not  only  are  the  girls  thus  accus- 
tomed from  an  early  age  to  work  that  will  be  most  valuable  to  them  in  the 
future,  but  also  the  baneful  idea,  so  prevalent  among  the  Indians,  that  there 
is  degradation  in  labor,  is  early  counteracted  in  the  boys.  We  could  not 
but  experience  a feeling  of  amusement  and  satisfaction,  when,  at  the  closing 
exercises,  a week  later,  we  saw  these  Indian  youths,  and  among  them  a lad 
of  eighteen,  march  into  the  school-room,  each  bearing  upon  his  shoulder 
that  peaceful  emblem  of  industry,  a common  broom.  After  all  of 
Mrs.  Knapp’s  questions  had  been  answered.  Miss  Knight  began  the 


A Month  Among  the  Sioux  Indians. 


9 


lesson  for  the  day.  A large  card,  upon  which  was  a neat  wood-cut, 
hung  over  the  school-room  door.  This  picture  represented  a little  boy 
sleeping  upon  a carpenter’s  bench,  with  tools  and  playthings  scattered 
in  confusion  about  him.  The  children  were  required  to  write  upon 
their  slates  a description  of  what  they  saw  upon  the  card.  We  had  an 
opportunity  of  examining  the  slates,  when  the  children  had  finished  their 
lesson,  and  were  much  surprised  with  the  variety  and  clearness  of  the 
descriptions,  and  the  excellent  handwriting  in  which  they  were  expressed. 

The  day  following.  Bishop  Hare  joined  us  on  his  return  from  a 
visitation  to  the  various  Mission  stations,  higher  up  the  Missouri.  His 
arrival  gave  us  great  pleasure,  as  it  afforded  us  not  only  the  society  of 
a friend,  but  also  the  conversation  of  one  whose  long  experience  in  the 
Indian  country  made  his  opinions  interesting  and  valuable.  Each  ad- 
ditional day  at  Hope  School  impressed  us  more  forcibly  than  the  last 
with  the  good  such  an  institution  can  accomplish.  The  change 
wrought  in  the  children,  by  the  devoted  labors  of  Mrs.  Knapp  and  her 
assistant,  from  their  unpromising  condition  when  taken  from  camp  life, 
has  indeed  been  marvellous.  To  witne.sses  of  such  work,  the  greatest 
difficulties  of  the  Indian  question  melts  away.  The  boys  and  girls 
about  us,  and  with  whom  we  lived  under  the  same  roof,  were  as  bright, 
as  active,  and  as  happy  as  the  best  of  those  one  might  meet  at  home. 
Whether  in  the  class-room,  at  play,  or  when  attending  to  the  simplest 
duties  of  household  or  garden,  their  conduct  seemed  to  us  equally 
admirable.  Their  obedience  and  respect  towards  their  teacher,  when 
engaged  in  school  work,  did  not  strike  us  more  forcibly  than  the  joy- 
ous freedom  of  their  games  when  study  hours  were  over  and  books  had 
been  cast  aside.  During  our  week’s  stay  at  Hope  School,  we  heard  no 
angry  or  unkind  word  from  any  of  the  Indian  children,  nor  did  we  see 
any  brow  clouded  by  ill  temper  or  discontent.  Such  happy  results  as 
these,  however,  were  not  obtained  in  a day,  for  when  the  school  was 
begun,  some  four  years  ago,  difficulties  were  encountered  which  prom- 
ised little  hope  for  the  future,  and  were  overcome  only  by  patience 
which  never  tired,  and  faith  which  nothing  could  daunt.  The  popu- 
larity of  the  Bishop’s  schools  is  now  so  great  among  the  Indians  that 
numerous  applications  for  admittance  must  be  refused,  through  lack  of 


lO 


A Month  Among  the  Sioux  Indians. 


room  and  funds,  which  fact  forms  one  of  the  many  proofs  that  these 
savage  men  are  more  ready  to  receive,  than  we  to  give,  the  benefits  of 
civilization. 

During  our  stay  at  Springfield,  we  crossed  the  Missouri  to  Santee 
Agency,  where  St.  Mary’s  boarding-school  for  Indian  girls  is  located. 
No  one  living  in  the  East  can  well  understand  how  great  a barrier  the 
swift  waters  of  this  broad  stream  offer  to  travel,  or  to  what  vexatious 
delays  a missionary  is  obliged  to  submit  in  his  efforts  to  cross  it.  Hour 
after  hour  must  frequently  be  passed  with  the  object  of  one’s  journey 
perhaps  clearly  in  view,  until  the  fierce  winds  which  fret  the  river’s 
surface  have  subsided,  or  the  ferryman,  upon  whom  a traveler  is  en- 
tirely dependent,  is  willing  to  leave  the  opposite  bank  and  come  to  the 
rescue.  Our  experience  in  endeavoring  to  go  from  Hope  School  to 
St.  Mary’s  was  such  as  to  make  us  fully  appreciate  the  difficulties  at- 
tending western  travel.  Some  three  hours  in  all  were  sacrificed  before 
we  found  ourselves,  on  the  afternoon  of  June  23d,  crossing  the  hot, 
sandy  bottom  lands,  sparsely  shaded  by  cottonwood  trees,  which  lay 
between  us  and  the  Agency.  St.  Mary’s  school,  with  the  church  and 
parsonage,  lies  side  by  side,  in  a grove  of  trees  whose  foliage  gives  at 
once  a homelike  air  to  the  buildings  beneath,  and  serves  to  shelter 
innumerable  mosquitos,  with  which  the  country  is  infested. 

This  institution,  unlike  Hope  School,  is  for  girls  only,  of  whom  we 
found,  upon  our  arrival,  some  forty,  gathered  from  various  tribes  and 
localities,  in  the  school-room,  and  engaged  with  the  closing  exercises. 
The  age  of  the  scholars  varied  from  ten  to  seventeen  years.  Their  ap- 
pearance was  interesting  and  attractive — ^just  such  bright,  happy  faces 
as  we  had  noticed  in  our  former  experience  at  Springfield.  In  addition 
to  the  scholars  present,  the  school-room  was  quite  crowded  with  white 
visitors  from  the  Agency,  and  the  neighborhood  across  the  Missouri, 
together  with  a sprinkling  of  Indians — relatives  of  the  children.  The 
exercises  were  in  every  way  creditable  to  those  who  took  part  in  them, 
and  to  Miss  Francis,  the  enthusiastic  and  efficient  teacher  in  charge. 
Varied  questions  in  arithmetic,  spelling,  grammar,  or  geography,  were 
answered,  verbally  or  upon  the  blackboard,  with  few  mistakes.  We 
could  not  but  remark  the  singularly  distinct,  in  many  cases,  beautiful 


A Month  Among  the  Sioux  Indians.  \ i 

handwriting  of  these  Indian  girls.  It  was  such  as  we  believe  a corre- 
sponding number  of  our  own  children  would  find  it  impossible  to 
equal.  A very  pretty  series  of  calisthenic  exercises  was  performed 
with  regularity  and  precision,  to  an  accompaniment  upon  the  melodeon ; 
also  choruses  were  very  well  sung,  and  several  duets  played  by  the 
scholars.  When  the  exercises  were  concluded,  a few  impressive  words 
of  encouragement  were  spoken  to  the  children  by  Bishop  Hare  and 
Mr.  Lightner,  Indian  Agent  at  Santee  ; and  then  the  little  gathering 
dispersed.  How  excellent  a thing  for  the  cause  of  right  would  it  be 
could  intelligent  people  from  the  East,  see  not  only  evidences  of  mental 
training,  which  these  Mission  Schools  are  giving  to  Indian  children, 
but  also  observe  the  practical  knowledge  of  household  work  which  they 
are  rapidly  acquiring  ! I can  hardly  speak  too  strongly  of  the  impres- 
sion which  was  produced  upon  us  by  this  examination.  Here  are 
children,  brought  but  a few  months  ago  from  the  ignorance  and  filth 
of  savage  camps,  from  the  closest  contact  with  the  barbarity  of  a no- 
madic and  warlike  people,  who  have  already  shown  qualities  of  intel- 
lect and  of  heart,  and  have  developed  habits  of  cleanliness  and  order 
which  reflect  credit  upon  themselves  and  upon  their  teachers.  At 
every  turn,  one  feels  the  possibilities  which  await  them,  could  uot  only 
a few  devoted  persons,  but  the  nation  at  large,  apply  in  their  case 
those  principles  of  justice  which  are  so  necessary  to  the  well-being  even 
of  our  own  superior  humanity.  The  good  results  which  these  schools 
have  reached,  are,  I think,  in  a large  measure,  due  to  the  wise  admin- 
istration of  Bishop  Hare,  as  their  overseer,  and  the  superior  qualities 
of  the  earnest  Christian  women  who  have  them  in  charge — women  w'ho 
have  brought  into  their  field  of  labor  a devotion  to  their  work,  and  an 
enthusiasm  and  wdsdom  in  its  performance  which  has  already  reaped  a 
fair  harvest,  and  which  promises  one  still  more  bountiful  in  the  future. 
With  more  than  human  fortitude  and  unswerving  determination,  they 
have  led  a so-called  forlorn  hope  into  the  wilderness,  and  as  objects  of 
pity,  contempt  or  derision,  have  gone  far  towards  solving  a problem 
which  the  world  calls  insolvable ! We  passed  Friday  night  at  St. 
Mary’s,  where,  notwithstanding  the  oppressive  heat,  we  were,  thanks 
to  the  kind  attention  of  the  ladies  in  charge,  made  very  comfortable. 


12 


A Month  Among  the  Sioux  Indians. 


Early  the  following  morning,  1 was  awakened  by  the  sound  of  a rush- 
ing wind,  which  swept  against  the  roof  and  chimneys  above  us,  not  in 
broken  gusts,  but  with  a low  and  steady  roar,  more  like  a torrent  of 
falling  water  than  a disturbance  of  the  atmosphere.  I ran  to  the  win- 
dow with  some  anxiety,  remembering  the  terrible  storm  which  devas- 
tated Santee  ten  years  ago,  and  by  which  the  Mission  buildings  were 
completely  destroyed.  I looked  out  upon  a tumult  of  clouds,  driven 
before  the  wind,  their  western  edge  dark  and  angry,  whilst  that  to- 
wards the  east  was  tinged  with  pale  yellow  by  the  dawn.  Beneath 
them,  trees  and  shrubs  bent  and  broke  before  the  tempest,  whilst  sand, 
small  branches  and  leaves  filled  the  air.  Fortunately,  with  us,  no 
serious  damage  was  done ; but  in  Iowa,  the  same  storm  which  had 
traversed  Dakota  resulted  in  great  loss  to  property  and  to  life.  There 
are  about  seven  hundred  Indians  settled  on  the  reservation  at  Santee, 
and  their  progress  in  civilization  is  in  many  ways  more  positive  and 
general  than  that  of  any  of  the  people  whom  we  have  visited.  Nearly 
all  of  them  live  in  houses,  and  are  engaged  in  farming.  Near  St. 
Mary’s  School,  we  noticed  crops  of  corn  and  oats  further  advanced 
than  any  which  we  had  seen.  These  belonged  to  a young  Indian, 
whose  character  for  intelligence  and  industry  stood  very  high.  Rev. 
Mr.  Fowler,  the  clergyman  in  charge  of  the  Mission  Church,  has  under 
his  care  some  half  dozen  Indian  boys,  who  not  only  live  in  his  house 
and  receive  their  schooling  at  his  hands,  but  also  are  given  a practical 
knowledge  of  labor  in  the  garden  and  the  field.  On  Saturday  morn- 
ing, after  a visit  to  Mr.  Lightner,  at  the  Agency,  who  gave  us  many 
facts  of  interest  concerning  his  work,  we  returned,  in  company  with 
Bishop  Hare,  to  Hope  School,  at  Springfield.  On  Sunday  morning, 
the  Bishop  held  service  at  the  little  Episcopal  Church  in  the  town, 
when  a very  good  congregation  was  present.  Later  in  the  day,  we 
again  crossed  the  Missouri  to  Santee,  where  the  Bishop  administered 
the  rite  of  confirmation,  during  the  afternoon  service,  to  a number  of 
Indian  men  and  women.  A service  in  the  evening  closed  the  labors 
of  the  day.  On  Monday,  we  visited  the  Presbyterian  Boarding  School, 
under  the  admirable  and  successful  management  of  Rev.  Alfred  L. 
Riggs.  The  work  which  we  saw  at  St.  Mary’s  School  impressed  us  as 


13 


A Month  Among  the  Sioux  Indians. 

did  that  we  had  seen  at  Springfield.  Everywhere  regularity  and  order 
showed  the  admirable  management  by  whish  Miss  Ives,  the  house- 
mother, directed  the  institution,  and  by  which  Sister  Mary  and  Miss 
Francis,  the  ladies  associated  with  her,  supported  her  efforts.  And  not 
only  was  it  manifest  that  the  routine  duties  of  the  school  were  well 
performed,  but  also  that  an  interest  and  affection  existed  between 
teachers  and  scholars,  such  as  institutions  of  this  sort  rarely  attain. 
The  closing  e.xercises  at  Hope  School,  to  which  we  returned,  took 
place  on  Monday,  June  26th,  and  were  repeated  on  the  following  day 
for  the  benefit  of  those  Indians  whose  children  were  at  the  institution. 
All  the  children,  both  boys  and  girls,  acquitted  themselves  as  credit- 
ably as  those  at  St.  Mary’s  had  done.  We  were  quite  as  much  pleased, 
however,  by  their  modest  demeanor  and  gentle  manners  as  by  the  pro- 
ficiency which  they  evinced  in  their  studies.  On  Tuesday  afternoon, 
after  a hearty  farewell  to  Mrs.  Knapp  and  the  children,  we  started  by 
carriage,  in  company  with  Bishop  Hare,  for  St.  Paul’s  School,  at 
Yankton  Agency.  This  drive  of  about  thirty  miles  was  very  interest- 
ing. It  lay  over  the  rolling  prairie,  at  first  broken  only  at  intervals  of 
many  miles,  by  trees,  streams  or  valleys — a landscape  strange  to  east- 
ern eyes.  Towards  sunset,  magnificent  stretches  of  the  Missouri  broke 
upon  us,  and  to  our  left  the  prairie  folded  itself  into  great  promonto- 
ries, with  quiet  valleys  between,  which  melted  to  green  bottom  lands, 
fringing  the  river’s  bank.  We  had  seen  no  solitude  more  impressive. 
Occasionally,  we  passed  an  Indian  on  horseback,  or  a lonely  cabin  with 
its  little  patch  of  cultivated  ground.  Some  time  after  nightfall,  and 
with  an  ominous  gathering  of  thunder-clouds  about  us,  we  reached  St. 
Paul’s  School,  where  an  eager  crowd  of  boys  shouted  a chorus  of  wel- 
coTTie  to  the  Bishop,  and  conducted  us  to  the  house. 

Early  the  following  morning,  the  ringing  of  a bell  summoned  us  to 
the  school-room  for  prayers.  We  found  ourselves  in  a new  and  pleas- 
ant building,  a recent  gift  to  the  Mission  from  some  of  its  Philadelphia 
friends.  It  is  two  stories  in  height,  with  one  large  airy  room  on  the 
second  floor.  Here  we  found  the  Bishop,  teachers  and  boys,  assem- 
bled for  a short  and  simple  service  of  prayer  and  praise.  There  was  a 
great  difference  in  these  children,  both  as  to  age  and  appearance ; 


14  A Month  Among  the  Sioux  Indians. 

some  were  little  fellows  of  six  or  seven  years,  whilst  among  the  older 
scholars  were  those  who  deserved  to  be  rather  called  men  than  boys. 
Some,  too,  were  so  fair  of  skin  and  delicate  of  features  as  scarcely  to 
reveal  their  Indian  blood,  whilst  others  bore  the  strongest  character- 
istics of  their  race.  Two  among  them,  we  learned,  were  brought,  six 
months  ago,  from  the  camp  of  Sitting  Bull,  now  under  guard  at  Fort 
Randall,  one  of  whom  is  the  son  of  the  famous  chief.  These  children 
were  in  the  camp  at  Little  Big  Horn  River  when  it  was  attacked  by 
Gen.  Custer,  with  such  disastrous  results  to  himself  and  his  command. 
The  main  building  at  St.  Paul’s  is,  for  the  frontier,  quite  an  imposing 
structure,  as  we  saw,  after  prayers,  in  strolling  towards  it.  It  stands 
upon  a slight  eminence,  above  the  river,  overlooking  the  agent’s  house, 
the  Government  building,  with  its  rigid  walls,  and  the  old  stockade 
fort,  beneath  whose  protection,  where  guns  once  bristled,  smiles  a 
peaceful  patch  of  vegetables.  It  is  built  of  pale  yellow  stone,  cut  from 
a distant  quarry  in  Nebraska,  and  brought,  at  great  expense,  to  this 
place,  for  its  erection.  Here,  as  at  Hope  School,  the  scholars  took 
their  meals  at  the  same  time,  and  in  the  same  room,  though  at  differ- 
ent tables,  with  the  teachers  and  guests  of  the  house.  Before  sitting 
down,  grace  was  not  said,  but  sung  ; one  of  the  older  scholars  striking 
the  first  note  and  the  others  joining  heartily.  At  St.  Paul’s,  as  at 
Hope  School  and  St.  Mary’s,  we  were  as  much  struck  by  the  charac- 
ter of  the  teachers  as  by  the  quickness  or  docility  of  the  children 
under  their  charge.  A thoroughness  of  discipline,  joined  to  a steady 
enthusiasm  for  the  cause,  seemed  to  characterize  all  whom  we  met,  and 
to  account  for  the  wonderful  success  with  which  their  labors  have  al- 
ready been  rewarded.  One  could  not  be  long  with  Mrs.  Johnstone, 
the  house-mother,  or  see  Mr.  Henry,  or  Mr.  Edward  Dawes  in  the 
school-room,  without  feeling  where  the  secret  of  their  power  lay. 
Surely,  more  complete  than  the  victory  of  bullet  and  sabre  is  that  won 
by  these  simple  qualities  of  heart  and  head.  It  had  been  our  intention 
after  leaving  St.  Paul’s  to  travel  across  the  prairie,  by  wagon,  to  Rose- 
bud Agency,  a journey  of  five  or  six  days’  duration.  But  the  loss  of 
the  flatboat  at  Fort  Randall,  which  was  swept  away  during  a severe 
storm,  by  which  we  were  prevented  from  crossing  the  Missouri  at  that 


A Month  Among  the  Sioux  Indians. 


15 


point,  and  a report,  which  afterwards  proved  false,  to  the  effect  that 
the  Indians  at  Rosebud  threatened  an  outbreak,  changed  the  course  of 
our  route.  By  a two  days’  journey  in  Bishop  Hare’s  wagon,  during 
which  we  crossed  the  river  at  Niobrara,  we  reached  the  town  of  Ne- 
ligh,  in  Nebraska,  on  the  Sioux  City  and  Pacific  Railroad,  and  went 
thence  by  train  to  Fort  Niobrara. 

Our  visit  to  Fort  Niobrara  was  the  first  we  had  ever  paid  to  a fron- 
tier military  post,  and  there  came  over  us,  as  we  approached  it,  memo- 
ries which  spoke  rather  of  the  old  world  than  of  the  new — where  a 
soldier’s  life  seems  out  of  harmony  with  ordinary  occupations.  The 
“fort,”  if  such  a term  may  rightly  be  applied  to  a place  destitute  of 
both  artificial  and  natural  defences,  lies  on  a broad,  level  piece  of 
ground,  upon  the  east  bank  of  the  Niobrara  river.  Just  west  of  the 
stream,  rise  high  sand  bluffs,  from  which  an  enemy  might  render  mat- 
ters very  uncomfortable  for  those  on  the  low  ground.  As  we  drew 
near  the  fort  itself,  we  passed  quite  a large  number  of  gray  cavalry 
horses,  browsing  peacefully  in  the  bright  July  sunshine,  and  further  on, 
a troop  of  bays.  Occasionally,  a blue-coated  soldier  would  trot  briskly 
by.  We  found  the  fort  in  quite  a state  of  commotion  owing  to  the 
national  holiday,  which  had  attracted  numerous  visitors,  especially 
“cowboys,”  or  cattle  herders,  from  the  neighboring  country.  Horse 
races,  foot  races,  and  sports  of  a similar  nature  were  the  order  of  the 
day.  As  soon  as  our  baggage  was  safely  deposited,  we  proceeded  to 
the  officers’  quarters,  in  order  to  pay  our  respects  to  the  commandant. 
Captain  Montgomery.  We  did  this  simply  as  an  act  of  etiquette,  and 
great  was  our  surprise  at  the  cordial  reception  we  met  with.  To  lieu- 
tenants Paddock  and  Macomb,  we  were  especially  indebted  for  the 
most  delicate  attentions;  a room  was  assigned  us  which,  after  our 
traveling  experience  of  the  last  few  days,  seemed  in  the  highest  degree 
luxurious,  and  on  the  following  day  every  amusement  which  a garri- 
son life  could  afford  was  put  at  our  disposal.  Early  on  Thursday, 
July  6th,  after  saying  farewell  to  our  kind  hosts,  we  started,  by  wagon, 
for  Rosebud,  the  ultimate  point  of  our  journey.  For  thirty-five  miles, 
our  route  lay  over  absolutely  unbroken  prairie,  almost  destitute  of 
water,  and  with  scarcely  a sign  of  animal  life.  When  a short  distance 


1 6 A Month  Among  the  Sioux  Indians. 

from  the  Agency,  but  before  it  was  in  sight,  we  saw  four  Indians  gal- 
loping towards  us.  Their  appearance  was  wild  and  picturesque.  With 
rifles  balanced  upon  their  saddle-bows,  blankets  wrapped  about  their 
loins,  bare  heads,  ornamented  with  feathers  or  trinkets,  and  faces 
touched  with  vermilion  and  ochre,  they  were  worthy  of  record  upon 
canvas  as  typical  warriors  of  the  plain.  Their  intentions  were  alto- 
gether pacific,  as  we  learned  from  our  driver,  of  whom  they  inquired 
whether  we  had  passed  two  ponies  which  had  strayed  from  Rosebud 
the  preceding  day.  Having  gained  the  desired  information,  they  gal- 
loped off  over  the  prairie.  A few  moments  later  we  reached  Rose- 
bud Agency.  A sudden  fall  of  the  ground,  below  the  ordinary  level 
of  the  plateau  we  had  crossed,  revealed  a deep  valley,  intersected  by  a 
small  stream,  and  surrounded  by  precipitous  sand  hills.  On  the  side 
of  one  of  those  hills  we  saw  the  agent’s  house,  with  adjacent  buildings, 
while,  scattered  in  every  direction,  over  hill  and  valley,  were  Indian 
“ tej>ees  ” and  herds  of  sleek  ponies  grazing  about  them.  In  front  of 
us  lay  the  little  cross-crowned  church,  with  its  parsonage,  the  home  of 
Rev.  Mr.  Cleveland,  the  Episcopal  missionary. 

We  met  with  a warm  reception  from  this  gentleman  and  his  wife, 
also  from  Mr.  Burt,  whose  acquaintance  we  had  made  some  weeks  ear- 
lier, at  Chamberlain.  The  afternoon  was  spent  in  strolling  about  the 
neighboring  hills  among  Indians  and  their  tents,  and  in  discussing  the 
condition  of  affairs  at  Rosebud.  The  scene  about  us  was  strikingly 
picturesque.  Men  of  a more  savage  aspect  than  any  we  had  hitherto 
met  with  might  be  seen  scouring  the  hills  upon  their  ponies.  Their 
costumes  of  vivid  and  varied  colors ; white,  yellow,  red,  green,  blue 
and  black,  appeared  intensely  brilliant  against  a background  of  gray 
sand,  or  the  faded  herbage  of  the  hills.  The  appearance  of  white  visi- 
tors is  rather  unusual  at  the  Agency,  and  consequently  we  were  re- 
garded with  some  curiosity.  One  man  asked  of  Mr.  Cleveland,  in 
Dakota,  “ What  have  those  men  come  for?”  His  reply  that  business 
connected  with  the  Mission  had  brought  us  seemed  entirely  satisfactory. 
Whilst  all  we  saw  was  from  an  artistic  standpoint,  striking  and  attrac- 
tive— far  more  so,  indeed,  than  what  we  had  observed  elsewhere — the 
moral  aspect  of  everything  about  us  was  gloomy  and  depressing. 


A Month  Among  the  Sioux  Indians.  17 

Children  there  were  in  abundance — dirty,  unkempt  little  creatures, 
scampering  like  rabbits  across  our  path,  or  peeping  shyly  from  the 
folds  of  a “tepee,”  but  no  school  for  their  instruction.  One  there 
had  been,  indeed,  but  for  some  reason  it  was  converted  into  an  agent’s 
office,  and  now  the  young  people  of  Rosebud  must  be  content  with 
the  distant  chance  of  Hampton,  Carlisle,  or  one  of  Bishop  Hare’s 
schools,  for  whatever  training  they  are  to  receive.  We  saw  no  fields 
under  Indian  cultivation,  as  we  had  done  at  the  other  Agencies, 
though  there  is  no  reason  why  the  ground  should  not  be  abundantly 
productive,  judging  from  the  crops  we  noticed  on  a farm  some  three 
miles  from  the  parsonage,  where  oats,  corn,  potatoes,  and  other  vege- 
tables flourished.  The  people  everywhere  seemed  to  be  utterly  desti- 
tute of  any  employment  calculated  to  stimulate  or  develop  their  dor- 
mant energies;  energies  which  we  know  exist,  and  which  we  know, 
too,  are  capable  of  development.  Towards  sunset  the  church  bell 
rang  for  evening  prayers,  for  strange  though  it  may  seem,  daily  service 
is  held  regularly  in  this  remote  region,  and  what  is  still  more  odd, 
there  is  always  a good  attendance.  The  congregation,  for  the  most 
part,  is  composed  of  halfbreeds,  and  white  men  who  have  married 
Indian  women,  although  among  these  there  is  quite  a sprinkling  of  full 
bloods.  One  man,  whose  acquaintance  I made  a few  days  later,  jour- 
neys eighty  miles  every  week  to  attend  service  (he  lives  forty  miles 
from  Rosebud),  and  his  seat  in  the  church  on  Sunday  is  rarely  vacant. 
The  day  after  our  arrival  was  one  of  stir  and  activity  in  the  camp,  for 
it  was  that  upon  which  rations  are  issued  to  the  people,  not  in  the  form 
of  meat  prepared  by  the  butcher,  but  “ on  the  hoof”  as  it  is  termed. 
Wild  Texan  cattle  are  turned  loose  every  tenth  day,  and  the  Indians 
are  allowed  the  sport  of  hunting  and  shooting  them  while  they  run  at 
large.  Early  in  the  morning  we  saw  men  prepared  for  the  chase  gallop 
past  our  windows  in  every  direction,  and  by  ten  o’clock  the  hills  were 
alive  with  horsemen  and  the  frightened  animals,  which  vainly  sought  to 
escape  them.  We  could  see  the  puff's  of  smoke  and  hear  the  crack  of 
rifles  all  about  us,  and  we  congratulated  ourselves  that  no  ill-directed 
bullet  or  stray  steer  came  towards  us.  Our  arrival  at  Rosebud  was  just 
after  the  conclusion  of  the  Sun  Dance,  quite  a notable  event  of  the 

2 


i8  A Month  Among  the  Siojix  Indians. 

Indian  year,  when  a general  gathering  of  people  from  all  directions 
is  held  at  a given  point  3 at  which  young  men  show  their  bravery  by 
indifference  to  self  inflicted  injuries,  and  those  who  have  acquired 
more  wealth  than  their  fellows  are  expected  to  be  prodigal  in  their 
gifts  to  persons  less  fortunate  or  more  lazy  than  themselves.  The 
social  element  of  the  Sun  Dance,  doubtless,  is  beneficial,  but  the  bar- 
barous tortures,  which  to  a greater  or  less  degree  characterize  it,  seemed 
to  us  calculated  to  keep  alive  old  and  savage  customs,  and  therefore 
to  be  most  undesirable.  Could  not  the  Government,  through  the  in- 
strumentality of  its  agent,  and  by  very  simple  diplomacy,  turn  this 
heathen  festival  into  a Fourth  of  July  picnic,  offer  some  serviceable 
reward  to  those  who  had  proved  themselves  industrious  during  the 
year  past,  discourage  a baneful  generosity  on  the  part  of  those  whose 
labors  had  won  success,  and  entirely  prohibit  the  degrading  spectacle 
of  self-torture?  On  Saturday,  we  paid  a visit  to  the  trader’s  store,  to 
the  house  presented  by  our  Government  to  the  famous  chief  Spotted 
Tail,  and  to  the  Brule  camp,  situated  about  one  mile  from  the  agent’s 
office.  Outside  and  inside  the  stores,  we  found  many  Indians  idly 
gossiping  among  themselves,  or  lounging  listlessly  over  the  counters. 
Many  of  them  were  tall,  powerful  men,  but  their  blanket  costume, 
painted  faces,  and  wild  appearance  showed  how  little  progress  civiliza- 
tion had  made  among  them.  We  next  visited  Spotted  Tail’s  house,  a 
dreary  monument  of  wasted  funds  ! We  were  told  that  it  cost  the 
Government  five  thousand  dollars,  and  yet  now  its  condition  is  deplor- 
able. Its  rooms  are  almost  devoid  of  furniture  and  its  whole  aspect  is 
shabby,  filthy,  and  forlorn.  It  is  a wooden  structure  three  stories  in 
height,  and  when  first  built,  doubtless,  was,  to  Indian  eyes,  of  palatial 
proportions.  It  reminded  us  of  a third-class  seashore  boarding-house 
which  v/as  about  to  be  abandoned  by  its  occupants.  This  gift  to  their 
chief  proved  a source  of  jealousy  and  discontent  among  his  people, 
who  found  it  difficult  to  understand  why  he  alone  should  be  the  recipi- 
ent of  so  costly  a favor.  Had  this  large  sum  of  money  been  so  spent 
as  to  promote  general  industry,  rather  than  to  gratify  the  selfishness  of 
a man  whose  influence  with  his  tribe  was  always  hostile  to  progress, 
doubtless  the  results  would  have  been  better.  We  saw  the  spot  where 


A Month  Among  the  Sioux  Indians. 


19 


he  died,  last  year,  at  the  hand  of  Crow  Dog,  his  old  enemy  and  rival. 
An  amicable  adjustment  of  the  difficulty  which  this  act  of  violence 
caused  between  the  friends  of  Spotted  Tail  and  those  of  Crow  Dog 
was  made,  according  to  Indian  custom,  by  the  payment  of  six  hundred 
dollars  and  a number  of  ponies  on  the  part  of  the  murderer.  Notwith- 
standing this  arrangement,  however.  Crow  Dog,  who  gave  himself  up 
immediately  after  the  murder,  was  tried  before  a civil  court,  and  sen- 
tenced to  death  ; but  as  the  day  on  which  he  was  to  have  been  executed 
has  now  passed  without  result,  it  is  thought  probable  that  he  will  gain 
a new  trial.  The  Indians  at  Rosebud  quite  unconsciously  presented 
to  us  a series  of  brilliant  pictures,  with  a touch  of  the  Orient  about 
them,  which  might  have  inspired  the  genius  of  Delacroix  or  Decamp. 
One  scene  which  we  witnessed  on  our  return  from  the  Brule  camp  im- 
pressed itself  particularly  upon  my  mind.  As  we  descended  a little 
hill  and  were  about  to  cross  a stream  which  ran  at  its  base,  we  saw  ap- 
proaching us  from  the  opposite  side,  and  marching  in  single  file,  a 
company  of  some  thirty  warriors,  men  of  great  size  and  lofty  bearing, 
whose  brilliant  costumes  and  strange  ornaments  sparkled  in  the  sun- 
shine. They  were  from  Sitting  Bull’s  band  in  the  north,  and  were 
on  the  way  to  a council  about  to  be  held  in  a neighboring  tent.  Nearly 
all  of  them  in  passing  us  stopped  and  returned  our  salutation  with  a 
hearty  hand-shake  and  cordial  “ How  ! How!”  Sunday,  our  last  day 
at  Rosebud,  was  passed  quietly  and  pleasantly.  Three  services  were 
held  in  the  church  ; those  of  the  morning  and  evening  were  conducted 
in  the  Dakota  language,  while  that  of  the  afternoon  was  in  English. 
■Vfter  morning  service  I received  a visit  from  an  Indian  named  White 
Elk,  the  same  man  to  whom  I already  alluded  as  coming  from  such  a 
great  distance  to  church.  Mr.  Cleveland  acted  as  our  interpreter. 
After  some  preliminary  conversation.  White  Elk  said  to  me,  “ My 
friend,  it  is  now  seven  years  since  I gave  up  my  wild  life  and  have 
tried  to  live  as  a white  man,  to  work  the  ground,  to  plant  and  raise 
my  own  corn  ; but  I have  no  plough,  and  am  greatly  in  need  of  other 
implements.  When  you  go  to  your  home  will  you  see  the  Great  Fa- 
ther at  Washington,  and  tell  him  what  I want?  Perhaps  he  will  help 
me.”  There  was  something  touching  in  the  simplicity  of  this  man’s 


20 


A Month  Amo7ig  the  Sioiix  Indians. 


request — it  was  the  plea  of  one  seeking  to  do  right  in  the  face  of  terri- 
ble discouragements. 

It  was  with  regret  that  we  left  Rosebud,  as  we  were  obliged  to  do, 
on  Monday  morning.  We  had  seen  much  there  to  interest  us,  much 
that  was  food  for  reflection.  We  had  been  among  seven  thousand 
people  just  emerging  from  a nomadic  and  savage  life  ; a people  who, 
with  a few  bright  exceptions,  are  idle  and  ignorant,  with  no  induce- 
ments to  work,  no  chance  for  knowledge ; a people  under  no  restraint 
of  law,  with  weapons  in  their  hands,  and  yet  rarely  guilty  of  any 
outrage ; a people  composed  of  men,  women  and  children,  like  our- 
selves, and  as  we  are,  capable  not  only  of  evil,  but  of  good.  What 
these  are  capable  of  is  plainly  demonstrated  by  what  Dr.  McGilly- 
cuddy,  the  agent  at  Pine  Ridge,  has  already  accomplished  among 
men  but  two  years  ago  equally  savage.  Through  his  zealous  and  able 
efforts  an  efficient  police  force  has  been  organized,  eight  school 
houses  have  been  built,  farming  has  been  successfully  encouraged,  and 
a general  advance  in  civilization  has  been  made,  to  which  not  only 
missionaries,  but  army  officers,  testify.  As  we  took  a last  view  of  the 
Indian  camp,  and  turned  our  steps  eastward,  we  could  not  but  feel 
how  great  and  grand  a work  might  be  accomplished,  even  among 
the  wildest  Indian  tribes,  by  the  exercise  of  simple  faith,  of  judgment, 
and  of  justice. 


SUMMARY. 


close  of  our  short  stay  in  the  Indian  country  found  us  deeply 
impressed  by  what  we  had  learned  from  personal  observation  and 
T contact  with  a people  whose  outw'ard  progress  and  inner  life  is,  for 
the  most  part,  unknown  even  to  thinking  men  and  women  in  the 
East.  It  is  my  purpose  now  to  present  in  a simple  and  unpretentious 
way  the  result  of  my  impressions,  with  the  hope  that  those  who  can 
feel  for  sufferings  inflicted,  and  who  care  to  right  wrongs  endured 
beyond  the  limits  of  their  own  threshold,  will  stop  to  hear  and  exert 
themselves  to  aid  the  cause  I would  advance.  First,  my  observations 
convinced  me  that  the  cry  of  “help  the  Indian!”  comes  most 
strongly  from  the  mouths  not  of  those  who  are  sentimental,  but  who 
are  practical  in  the  exercise  of  their  charity.  They  would  point  not 
to  the  noble  red  man  of  waving  plumes  and  daring  courage,  who  has 
been  driven  across  rivers,  mountains  and  prairies,  from  the  eastern  to 
the  western  sea,  but  to  the  simple  child  of  God’s  creation,  in  whose 
heart  burns  the  same  mixed  flame  of  good  and  evil,  which  lights  or 
blasts  the  white  man’s  richer  life.  And  as  they  plead  the  Indian 
cause  they  would  hold  tenaciously  to  the  theory  of  the  possible  devel- 
opment of  all  men  and  their  elevation  from  a lower  to  a higher  life, 
by  means  of  Christian  teaching  and  a wise  political  protection.  In 
support  of  such  a theory  they  would  employ  the  solid  argument  of 
facts.  There  are,  then,  two  divisions  of  the  Indian  question  which  it 
seems  to  me  important  to  make,  and  to  which  I would  invite  attention. 
The  first  is  religious,  the  second  political.  Let  men  regard  the  Chris- 
tian religion  as  true  or  false,  of  divine  or  human  origin,  there  are  but 
few  who  can  doubt  its  power  as  a practical  element  of  civilization. 
To  us  this  power  seemed  everywhere  visible  among  the  people  whom 
we  visited,  and  its  record  of  good  we  saw  graven  in  characters  broad 


22 


A Mo7ith  Among  the  Sioux  Indians. 


and  deep.  We  meet  in  the  remote  wilderness  Christian  men  and 
women,  in  many  cases  persons  of  great  refinement  and  cultivation,  of 
earnest  zeal  and  sympathy  with  their  work,  who  were  manifest  centres 
of  life  and  progress,  and  were  worthy  of  every  private  and  public 
encouragement  as  the  benefactors  of  society  and  of  the  State.  At 
Lower  Brule  Agency,  where  the  native  clergyman,  Luke  Walker  and 
his  wife,  were  engaged  in  missionary  labor,  a marked  result  of  the 
Church’s  influence  was  apparent.  In  dress,  in  manner,  in  life,  we  found 
the  Christian  distinguished  from  the  heathen  Indian.  We  saw  men 
who,  within  a few  years,  had  derided  the  Church,  and  had  sought  to 
deter  their  people  from  joining  it,  now  living  as  its  exemplary  mem- 
bers, or,  who,  if  not  openly  confessing  its  creed,  were  greatly  affected 
by  contact  with  it.  Mr.  Walker  himself  seemed  to  us  a strong 
example  of  what  an  Indian  may  become,  as  he  was,  though  of  un- 
mixed Sioux  blood,  a civilized  man,  living  in  a clean,  tastefully- 
furnished  and  comfortable  house,  attending  faithfully  to  his  duties 
among  his  people,  and,  through  his  hold  upon  thfeir  confidence  and 
affection,  winning  them  to  a better  life.  Here,  then,  is  ground  for 
the  statement  that  missionary  effort,  even  from  a material  point  of 
view,  is  not  wasted  force.  The  Indian  has  sufficient  intelligence  to 
perceive  the  motives  which  prompt  white  men  to  go  to  him.  Those 
who  go  for  purposes  of  war  or  of  trade,  leave 'the  better  part  of  his 
nature  untouched,  undeveloped,  and  as  a natural  consequence,  are  but 
too  apt  to  suppose  that  such  a nature  does  not  exist,  while  those  who 
seek  him  for  his  own  good,  and  whose  training  and  character  are  such 
as  to  enable  them  to  approach  him  from  a moral  and  religious  stand- 
point, meet,  in  many  cases,  with  a ready  and  sure  response.  The 
religion  which  they  teach  is  as  much  of  a practical  as  of  a 
theoretical  nature — to  be  cleanly,  honest,  industrious,  as  well  as  to 
attend  the  services  and  sacraments  of  the  Church.  Part  of  Rev.  Mr. 
Fowler’s  work  at  Santee  Agency  was  of  this  character,  and,  as  I have 
said  in  an  earlier  part  of  my  article,  he  gave  instruction  to  six  Indian 
bo)s,  who  were  members  of  his  household,  in  the  cultivation  of  garden 
and  farm.  We  are  brought,  then,  to  the  conclusion,  that  the  mis- 
sionary is,  if  he  be  a man  of  proper  character  and  motive,  an  impor- 


A Month  Amon^  the  Sioux  Indians. 


23 


tant  factor  in  the  solution  of  the  Indian  question.  Our  conversation 
with  such  missionaries  as  we  had  an  opportunity  of  meeting,  convinced 
us  of  their  thorough  acquaintance  with  Indian  character,  and  that  their 
views  of  the  question  at  issue  were  untinged  with  “ couleur  de  rose,”  but 
had  been  formed  in  the  daylight  of  common  experience.  In  the  mani- 
festations of  good  or  evil  among  Indians,  they  led  us  to  detect  the 
presence  of  causes  which  explained  their  actions  upon  a reasonable 
basis,  and  gave  hope  of  good  fruit  as  the  result  of  wise  and  just 
treatment. 

In  some  respects  a stronger  influence  than  that  of  the  missionaries 
is  wielded  by  the  schools,  which,  under  Bishop  Hare’s  management, 
have  reached  a high  degree  of  efficiency.  Of  the  three  we  visited, 
Hope  School,  St.  Mary’s,  and  St.  Paul’s,  it  would  hardly  be  possible 
to  speak  in  terms  of  sufficient  commendation.  From  the  fact  that  the 
children  in  attendance  are  boarders,  and  not  day  scholars,  all  the 
injurious  influence  of  their  old  associations  is  avoided,  and  habits  of 
steady  industry,  of  propriety  in  speech  and  behavior,  are  acquired  at 
that  age  when  they  are  likely  to  take  strong  hold  upon  the  life.  The 
children  gain  a knowledge  of  the  English  language,  which  is  an  abso- 
lute necessity  to  any  future  progress  in  civilization,  and  without  which 
they  would  be  almost  entirely  at  the  mercy  of  unscrupulous  white 
men,  who,  hitherto,  have  so  easily  profited  by  the  ignorance  of  the 
weaker  race.  The  Bishop’s  schools  have  done  much  to  prove  that 
the  Indian  children  are  by  nature  just  as  honest  and  as  truthful  as  are 
the  whites,  and  certainly  what  we  ourselves  saw  would  tend  to  show 
that  they  are  equally  intelligent.  That  they  are  capable  of  solid 
intellectual  and  physical  work,  there  can  be  no  doubt,  though  I do 
not  wish  to  maintain  that  they  possess  that  vigor  and  energy  which  is 
so  marked  a characteristic  of  our  own  race.  In  the  study  of  this 
question  I think  it  should  be  clearly  understood  that  the  Indian  falls 
short  of  the  Anglo-Sa.xon  in  his  capability  for  sustained  effort,  although 
Carlisle  and  Hampton  have  effected  a wonderful  improvement  in  this 
respect,  and  so  is  at  present  unfit  to  compete  with  the  white  man 
upon  equal  terms.  But  it  is  also  true  that  he  has  already  shown  him- 
self capable  of  effort,  which,  considering  his  unfavorable  circumstances, 


24 


A Month  Among  the  Sioux  Indians. 


is  remarkable,  and  has  given  promise  of  increased  capacity  in  the 
future  could  but  a fair  chance  be  accorded  him.  Here,  then,  I would 
finish  my  hurried  sketch  of  what  the  Christian  religion  has  accom- 
plished for  the  Indian.  By  means  of  church  and  school  he  has 
learned,  perhaps,  for  the  first  time,  of  justice  and  of  love,  and  has  come 
to  feel  that  the  blessings  of  these  great  principles  are  not  for  the  white 
man  only,  but  for  himself  as  well.  He  has  been  taught  the  dignity  of 
labor,  that  work  is  the  foundation-stone  of  life,  and  that  within  it  lies 
the  secret  of  his  conqueror’s  success.  It  is  no  longer  a question, 
“Can  the  Indian  be  civilized?’’  He  now  is  in  numberless  instances 
civilized,  as  was  clearly  proved  to  my  friend  and  myself  during  our 
journey.  A more  pertinent  question  for  to-day  is,  “ Shall  we  allow  the 
Indian  to  live,  or  is  his  existence  unworthy  our  religious  and  political 
effort?’’  To  such  a question  the  Church  of  Christ  can  render  but  one 
answer,  so  long  as  she  shall  pretend  to  follow  in  the  footsteps  of  her 
Master  who  said,  “ Inasmuch  as  ye  have  done  it  unto  one  of  the  least 
of  these  my  brethren,  ye  have  done  it  unto  me,’’  and  whose  last  com- 
mand was,  “Go  ye  unto  all  the  world  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every 
creature.” 

Could  Christians  in  the  East  but  awaken  to  the  reality  of  what 
has  already  been  accomplished  among  the  once  ignorant  heathen 
of  the  West,  could  they  know  how  strength  has  come  out  of  weakness, 
how  even  in  the  desert  a highway  has  been  made  straight  for  our  God, 
and  that  to  the  voice  crying  in  the  wilderness  many  voices  have  re- 
plied, surely  missions  to  the  Indians  would  grow  tenfold  through  the 
power  of  a vigorous  faith,  and  the  shallow  sneers  with  which  their 
advocates  have  so  often  been  assailed,  be  answered  forever.  But  even 
though  the  Church  should  be  aroused  to  send  into  the  mission  field 
many  times  the  force  of  men  and  money,  which  she  already  employs, 
there  will  still  be  enormous  obstacles  to  block  the  red  man’s  road  to 
independence — obstacles  which  church  and  school  are  alike  powerless 
to  remove. 

This  brings  me  to  the  political  division  of  my  subject.  Very 
peculiar  are  the  relations  in  which  the  United  States  Government 
stands  toward  the  Iitdian.  From  the  earliest  days  of  the  Republic 


A Month  Among  the  Sioux  Indians. 


25 


even  to  our  own*  time,  he  has  been  regarded  not  as  a citizen,  subject 
alike  to  the  protection  and  punishment  of  law,  but  as  a member  of  a 
foreign  nation,  with  whom  treaties  might  be  made  until  it  suited  the 
good  pleasure  of  the  more  powerful  of  the  two  parties  to  set  them  aside 
— as  invariably  happened  in  due  course  of  time.  Faith  with  an 
Indian  has  been  considered  no  more  a necessary  part  of  public 
morality  than,  in  bygone  ages,  was  faith  with  an  infidel ; and  so  acts 
of  perfidy,  and  frequently  of  wanton  cruelty,  have  been  committed 
toward  men  whose  ignorance  of  our  language  and  numerical  weakness, 
has  prevented  other  expostulation  than  an  occasional  outburst  of 
savage  fury.  Our  Government  has  adopted  a system  by  which  the 
various  Indian  tribes  are  settled  upon  large  tracts  of  land  called  Reser- 
vations, where  food  and  clothing  are  issued  to  them  through  the 
medium  of  an  agent,  who  is  charged  with  a general  supervision  of  their 
affairs.  The  strongest  of  all  inducements  for  them  to  become  a set- 
tled instead  of  a nomadic  people,  namely,  an  individual  possession  of 
the  soil,  has  never  been  accorded  to  them.  In  consequence  of  this 
state  of  affairs,  an  Indian  labors  with  no  assurance  whatever  that  he 
shall  enjoy  the  scanty  fruits  of  his  toil,  for  no  sooner  has  he  abandoned 
the  tent  of  roving  days,  and  built  himself  a rude  cabin  of  logs,  and 
begun  to  gladden  the  ground  about  his  dwelling  with  a little  crop  of 
corn,  and  wheat,  and  potatoes,  than  the  greedy  eye  of  some  white 
neighbor  spies  his  success,  and  Congress  knows  no  peace  until  he  is 
driven  westward.  Not  once,  but  a hundred  times,  has  this  been  the 
history  of  Indian  labor,  and  the  reward  it  has  received.  We  saw  at 
Santee  Agency  a settlement  of  700  people,  living  in  cabins,  farming 
their  ground,  and  entirely  peaceable  in  their  habits,  who  were  threat- 
ened with  a change  of  reservation,  and  the  consequent  loss  of  what 
their  labor  had  produced.  Could  any  policy  be  more  destructive  of 
laudable  ambition,  of  faith  in  the  integrity  of  our  Government,  and  in 
hope  for  a reward  of  toil,  than  that  which  the  United  States  has  sys- 
tematically adopted  toward  the  red  man?  Where  would  be  our  pros- 

* Though  within  the  la.st  few  years  the  Government  has  ceased  to  treat  with  the 
Indian  tribes  as  foreign  nations,  they  have  been  accorded,  only  in  exceptional  cases, 
a permanent  right  to  their  land. 


26 


A Month  Amonf^  the  Sioux  Indians. 


perity,  individual  or  national,  were  the  efforts  of  our  people  charged 
with  such  a burden  as  this?  Wherever  the  tide  of  emigration  has 
brought  the  white  race  in  close  proximity  to  the  reservations,  there  is  a 
strong  tendency  on  the  part  of  settlers  to  invade  the  lands  allotted 
to  the  Indians,  and  pressure  is  then  brought  to  bear  upon  .Congress  to 
secure  their  removal  to  some  other  place.  We  saw  a striking  illustra- 
tion of  this  fact  when  at  the  town  of  Chamberlain,  which  is  situated 
upon  the  east  bank  of  the  Missouri,  in  the  Territory  of  Dakota,  with 
Crow  Creek  Reservation  touching  its  northern  boundary,  and  Lower 
Brule,  to  the  west,  upon  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river.  This  town  is 
at  the  present  terminus  of  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  and  St.  Paul  Rail- 
road. A strong  effort  was  on  foot  to  break  into  Crow  Creek  Re.serva- 
tion,  upon  the  north,  and  to  run  the  railroad  through  the  Lower  Brule 
Reservation,  upon  the  west,  so  as  to  gain  communication  with  Dead- 
wood,  in  the  Black  Hills.  It  was  urged,  with  considerable  show  of 
reason,  that  for  fifteen  miles  to  the  north  the  land  was  unoccupied  by 
Indians,  to  whom  much  more  had  been  given  than  their  wants  could 
possibly  demand,  as  the  country  was  destitute  of  game,  and  it  was 
therefore  unjust  to  forbid  its  cultivation  by  the  whites.  To  this  the 
reply  might  be  made  that  were  the  land  given  to  the  Indians  in  sever- 
alty, with  the  assurance  to  each  that  his  possession  would  be  protected 
by  the  Government,  then  the  surplus  land  might  be  opened  for  set- 
tlement, to  the  advantage  of  both  Indians  and  whites.  Congress  has 
as  yet  made  no  provision  by  which  the  Indian  can  claim  land  upon 
the  reservation  where  his  lot  is  cast  with  the  certainty  of  a constant 
possession.  For  him  to  claim  land  beyond  the  limits  of  a reservation 
is  practically  impossible,  as  his  ignorance  of  our  language,  of  the  value 
of  money,  and  of  property  in  general,  would  put  him  completely  at 
the  mercy  of  men  who  have  pity  neither  upon  his  poverty  nor  his  lack 
of  knowledge.  Why,  it  may  well  be  asked,  should  our  Government 
longer  hesitate  to  grant  the  Indian  an  individual  right  to  the  land,  at 
least  to  such  men  as  have  turned  to  honest  labor — land  with  which  he 
should  not  be  permitted  to  part  during  a given  number  of  years,  a suf- 
ficient time  to  allow  the  development  of  qualities  moral,  intellectual 
and  physical,  which  are  absolutely  necessary  to  his  self-support?  The 


A Month  Among  the  Sioux  Indians.  27 

present  policy  is  both  inconsistent  and  unjust,  and  has  destroyed  com- 
pletely the  Indian’s  faith  in  the  honesty  of  the  Government’s  inten- 
tions toward  them.  To  place  tribes  upon  ground  which  all  men  know 
shall  be  theirs  but  for  a time,  and  of  which  the  march  of  emigration 
shall  surely  rob  them,  is  to  act  alike  regardless  of  statesmanship  and  of 
morality.  May  the  time  be  not  far  distant  when  the  people  of  this 
country,  animated  by  no  spirit  of  sentimentalism,  but  by  the  dictates 
of  that  justice  upon  which  their  own  prosperity  has  been  most  surely 
founded,  will  demand  that  a more  righteous  policy  be  pursued  toward 
this  people,  too  weak  to  speak  in  its  own  behalf.  Before  closing,  i 
would  touch  upon  two  points,  which,  from  the  political  aspect  of  the 
question,  are  worthy  of  consideration.  The  fir.st  bears  upon  the  sys- 
tem of  agents,  the  second  upon  that  of  distributing  rations.  Doubt- 
less, in  the  pre.sent  state  of  things,  the  agent  is  a necessity,  but  one 
which  has  connected  with  it  many  evils.  First,  the  salary  of  an  agent 
is  not  sufficient  to  frequently  induce  men  of  the  best  qualifications  to 
accept  the  position — a position  which  should  be  regarded  as  one  of 
very  high  importance,  and  which  men  of  unquestioned  character  and 
ability  should  occupy.  The  agent  is  the  representative  of  Government 
authority,  in  many  cases  among  several  thousand  Indians,  over  whom 
he  may  exercise  almost  unlimited  control.  They  regard  him  as  chil- 
dren do  a father,  and  are  strongly  influenced  by  his  example.  It  is  in 
his  power  to  curtail,  or  stop  their  supply  of  rations;  to  reward  with 
plenty  or  punish  with  want,  to  afford  facilities  for  house  building  and 
farming  by  the  supply  of  a thousand  trifling  articles  which  can  be  ob- 
tained only  through  him.  He  can  encourage  industry  by  his  precept 
and  example,  aid  those  who  are  well  disposed  toward  progress,  and 
anxious  to  be  instructed  in  the  first  rudiments  of  civilized  life,  help  the 
missionary  by  a regular  attendance  at  church,  advance  morality  and 
sobriety  by  his  own  well-ordered  life,  in  fine,  exert  a mighty  influence 
for  good  upon  the  lives  of  all  over  whom  he  has  been  placed.  Or  he 
may  be  the  reverse  of  all  this,  a man  devoid  of  dignity,  capacity,  sym- 
pathy, puffed  up  with  a sense  of  his  own  importance  and  impressed 
beyond  measure  by  the  grandeur  of  his  position,  violent  in  his  exer- 
cise of  authority,  petty  in  his  jealousy  toward  those  who  would  benefit 


28 


A Month  Among  the  Sioux  Indians. 


his  people,  insolent,  and  frequently  unjust,  in  his  administration, 
indiscreet,  or  as  is  but  too  often  the  case,  immoral  in  the  conduct  of 
his  private  life.  Our  experience  in  the  West  was  sufficient  to  show  us 
that  both  classes  of  men  are  represented  by  Indian  agents,  and  that  it 
is  probably  due  to  the  very  insufficient  salary  which  he  receives  that 
the  agent  of  the  former  kind  is  not  more  frequently  found  than  he  of 
the  latter.  If  the  mass  of  right-thinking  people  in  this  country  be- 
come aroused  to  a sense  of  the  importance  of  the  Indian  question,  if 
they  recognize  justice  and  honor  as  the  basis  of  our  dealings  with  this 
people,  and  resolve  that  systematic  perfidy  is  an  unworthy  policy  for 
the  United  States  to  pursue  towards  men  too  weak  to  defend  them- 
selves, then  may  we  look  for  a great  and  lasting  change  in  this 
matter — one  which  will  secure  benefits  of  a substantial  nature  to  the 
Indian,  and  reflect  honor  upon  the  Government.  It  will  then  be 
deemed  right  to  place  the  salary  of  an  Indian  agent  not  at  the  insuf- 
ficient sum  of  one  thousand,  thirteen,  or  fifteen  hundred  dollars,*  but 
at  such  a figure  as  will  more  certainly  secure  men  of  ability  and  high 
character  to  fill  so  important  a post.  I would  now  speak  briefly  upon 
the  subject  of  rations  issued  by  the  Government  to  the  Indians.  That 
the  Indians  are  at  present  dependent  upon  such  help,  in  many,  even 
in  most  cases,  may  be  taken  for  granted.  The  inheritance  of  former 
habits,  their  ignorance  of  mechanical  arts,  and  of  farming  on  the  part 
of  the  people  generally,  renders  this  a necessity;  otherwise  starvation 
would  unquestionably  be  their  lot.  The  Government  owes  them  such 
assistance  in  consideration  of  the  many  injuries  inflicted  upon  them, 
and  the  wholesale  appropriation  of  their  land.  But  it  must  be  remem- 
bered that  the  Indians  are  not  to  remain  forever  in  this  condition  of 
weak  dependence ; they  are  already  accepting  the  general  change 
which  is  rapidly  overtaking  them  as  a people  and  is  fashioning  their 
habits  and  occupations  into  those  of  settled,  civilized  men.  With  the 
progress  of  this  movement,  which  it  should  be  the  Government’s  care 
to  foster  and  hasten,  the  Indian  becomes  less  dependent  upon  food 
furnished  him  by  another,  and  in  greater  need  of  implements  for  the 

* of  later  years  a higher  sum  is  given  under  some  circumstances,  but  the  majoritj' 
of  Agents  are  paid  as  I have  stated  above. 


/ 


A Month  Among  the  Sioux  Indians.  29 

cultivation  of  his  farm  and  by  which  he  may  secure  his  own  bread. 
Therefore,  should  not  the  policy  of  the  Government  look  to  the 
gradual  decrease  and  final  extinction  of  the  ration  system,  and  its  sub- 
stitution by  such  help  as  men  rapidly  moving  toward  a civilized  life 
might  require  ? During  our  journey  we  heard  of  such  an  instance  as 
would  seem  to  illustrate  the  feasibility  of  this  suggestion.*  The  In- 
dians at  Sisseton  Agency,  at  the  time  when  reports  were  being  indus- 
triously circulated  of  an  impending  outbreak  upon  their  part,  were 
actually  petitioning  the  Government  to  supply  them  with  farming  im- 
plements in  the  place  of  rations,  as  they  deemed  the  possession  of 
tools  of  greater  value  than  the  gift  of  food.  A serious  discouragement 
to  growing  industry  and  independence  on  the  part  of  many  Indians 
in  Bishop  Hare’s  jurisdiction,  lies  in  the  fact  that  rations  are  issued 
at  such  short  intervals,  that  men  living  at  long  distances  from  the 
Agency  are  obliged  to  waste  valuable  time  in  coming  to  the  office  to 
collect  their  goods.  Indeed,  we  have  known  of  Indians,  who,  at 
seasons  when  their  crops  demanded  constant  attention,  found  it 
cheaper  to  forfeit  their  rations  than  to  abandon  their  farms  in  order 
to  procure  them.  The  principal  difficulty,  however,  which  lies  at  the 
root  of  the  whole  matter,  seems  to  be  that  the  Government’s  bounty 
has  been  designed  rather  to  pacify  the  more  restless  and  warlike  tribes 
whose  enmity  it  feared,  than  to  reward  and  encourage  those  who  were 
making  every  endeavor  to  lead  honest  and  peaceable  lives.  This 
fact  has  been  so  patent  that  the  wilder  Indians  have  employed  it  as  a 
powerful  argument  to  dissuade  their  more  advanced  brethren  from 
adopting  the  habits  of  civilized  life.  “Live  like  white  men,”  they 
have  said,  “ and  the  Government  will  despise  and  cheat  you  ; join  us, 
rob,  burn,  kill,  and  you  will  get  all  you  want.”f  Are  we  content  that 
such  words  should  be  uttered  in  the  future  with  the  same  truth  as  in 
the  past — we  who  pretend  that  in  our  land  of  all  others  industry  is  re- 

* Since  writing  the  article,  the  author  learns  that  such  is  the  object  of  the  Depart- 
ment, and  that  such  a plan  has  been  successfully  adopted  in  Indian  Territory,  though 
little  seems  to  have  been  accomplished  in  that  direction,  in  the  Northwest. 

I This  stricture,  while  at  one  time  capable  of  wide  application,  must  now  be  used 
in  a more  limited  sense. 


30 


A Month  Among  the  Sioux  Indians. 


warded,  the  rights  of  the  poor  are  protected  and  justice  is  equally  ad- 
ministered to  all  ? 

It  has  been  my  object  in  giving  the  foregoing  account  of  our  jour- 
ney, among  a people  of  whom  such  contradictory  reports  continually 
assail  the  public  ear,  to  show  to  others  what  actual  contact  has  indeli- 
bly impressed  upon  myself,  that  the  Indian  is  a human  being,  not  only 
possessing  the  evil  instincts  of  sloth,  selfishness  and  cruelty,  but  endowed 
with  all  noble  faculties  which  that  term  implies.  He  is  a man  ! Not 
a wild  beast  whose  extermination  is  necessary  to  the  safety  of  a higher 
order  of  creation,  but  a man  for  whom  honor,  purity,  knowledge  and 
love  are  not  only  within  the  range  of  possibility,  but  are  qualities  which 
already  in  numberless  instances  have  been  attained.  Words  are  power- 
less to  describe  the  depth  of  impression  which  our  visit  produced  upon 
us  in  this  respect.  At  every  step  we  saw  evidences  of  the  mighty 
change — physical,  intellectual,  moral — which  the  religion  of  Christ  has 
wrought  in  his  condition,  evidences  of  what  his  race  may  yet  become, 
will  we,  as  a people,  not  only  point  him  to  higher  life,  but  break  down 
the  bars  that  block  his  progress  toward  it.  Not  twenty  years  have  yet 
passed  since  the  sin  of  slavery  brought  upon  this  land  the  awful  chas- 
tisement of  civil  war,  and  lo  ! again  to-day  rests  upon  us  a kindred 
shadow  lying  dark  and  motionless  across  our  honor.  We,  who  never 
tire  of  affirming  the  principle  of  man’s  equality  have  put  our  foot  upon 
another  neck,  and  whilst  we  offer  protection  to  the  oppressed  of  dis- 
tant nations,  we  rob  with  systematic  complacency,  the  poor  within  our 
own  borders.  Surely  the  wealth  which  we  so  persistently  and  dishon- 
estly extort  from  them,  shall  have  but  bought  us  in  the  eyes  of  coming 
generations  a crown  of  infamy  to  invite  contempt  long  after  our 
riches  have  been  forgotten.  The  time  has  now  come  when  all  lovers 
of  liberty  and  justice  throughout  the  land  should  awaken  to  vigorous 
and  organized  action  in  defence  of  Indian  rights,  assured  that  their 
labors  will, not  be  without  reward.  To  the  writer  of  this  article  it 
seems  apparent  that  permanent  good  can  be  secured  to  the  Indian  by 
the  attainment  of  three  things  : 

First,  the  gift  of  land  in  severalty,  which  should  be  made  inalienable 


A Month  Among  the  Sioux  Indians.  31 

for  a given  term  of  years,  to  all  who  are  disposed  toward  progress  and 
are  desirous  of  tilling  the  soil. 

Second,  the  establishment  of  a suitable  code  of  laws  by  which  pro- 
tection may  be  secured  to  the  innocent  and  punishment  to  the 
guilty. 

Third,  the  increase  of  sound  education  by  means  of  Government 
and  Church  schools,  and  by  the  vigorous  advance  of  missionary  effort. 
If  these  advantages  can  be  secured  to  the  Indian  it  will  not  be  many 
years  before  the  full  rights  of  citizenship  should  be  his  also. 

The  friends  of  the  Indian  ask  not  for  a sentimental,  but  for  a search- 
ing and  rational  consideration  of  this  subject.  They  make  no  attempt 
to  screen  from  public  notice  the  atrocity  of  Indian  war,  whilst  they 
demand  the  right  to  lay  bare  those  hidden  causes  from  which  but  too 
frequently  such  barbarity  has  sprung,  and  to  bid  men  look  not  only 
upon  the  bloody  spectacle  of  savage  outbreaks,  but  to  the  beautiful 
though  unnoticed  triumphs  of  the  Church,  the  school-house  and  the 
farm.  They  recognize  the  presence  of  evil  among  the  red  men  as 
among  white,  and  the  necessity  of  force  for  its  punishment,  and  for  the 
protection  of  civilized  life;  they  simply  ask  such  discrimination  in  its 
employment'  as  shall  protect  the  innocent  and  punish  the  guilty.  In 
this  they  invoke  the  aid  of  Christians  who  not  only  profess  but  live  their 
creeds,  and  ot  citizens  who  conceive  the  State  to  rest  upon  a stronger 
basis  than  the  dollar  ; upon  the  everlasting  foundation-stone  of  justice 
and  of  truth.  'I'hey  would  suggest  for  the  solution  of  this  enigma  a 
method  so  old  as  to  be  perchance  obsolete,  though  the  essence  of  His 
teaching  who  lives  forever,  the  precept,  “ Whatsoever  ye  would  men 
should  do  unto  you,  even  so  do  ye  to  them  ” — the  golden  rule. 


